Local teacher lauds toy company for Barbie with Down syndrome

The toy manufacturer Mattel released its first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome last week.

The doll is dressed in a floral dress with the butterflies around the flowers. The flowers are yellow and blue, which are the colors associated with Down syndrome awareness. The doll also has a pink necklace that has three chevrons to represent the 21st chromosome, of which people with Down syndrome have three copies. In addition to the other accessories on the doll, there are pink braces many people with Down syndrome use to support their ankles and feet when they walk and stand.

According to the Mattel website, to make the doll, designers worked closely with the National Down Syndrome Society. The Barbie had been created with purpose for each design choice — from the sculpt of the face and body to the fashion the Barbie wears down to the orthopedics designed for the doll, the website says.

Hannah McFerron, a teacher at Blanchard Elementary School in Cape Girardeau who has a cousin with Down syndrome, said that as a teacher ,she sees the importance of learning inclusion and teaching acceptance every day to her students.

"If kids grow up with inclusion and acceptance around them, it will have a positive impact on our future," McFerron said. "This Barbie doll not only will be a great representation of the Down syndrome community, but it will also teach our children that not everyone looks the same and we all have unique qualities about ourselves that make us special."

Mattel's first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome.Mattel Inc. via AP

Mattel's first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome.Mattel Inc. via AP

Mattel said it prides itself on being the most diverse doll brand and it has evolved more in the last few years. According to its website, the company has Barbies with more than 175 looks, offering a variety of eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities and fashions to tell more stories. It has also introduced dolls representing people with vitiligo — a skin condition causing loss of color in patches of skin — dolls in wheelchairs and with prosthetic limbs, a doll with hearing aids and a doll without hair.

McFerron said she thinks the inclusion companies are doing now is wonderful for the next generation.

"Children are very curious and full of questions, and by having this Barbie, it can allow kids to ask questions and learn about others with disabilities. It will open up conversations for us as adults to teach our children about acceptance and understanding. This is not only important for the Down syndrome community, but for other disabilities as well," McFerron said. "This Barbie can teach our younger generation the differences they have, but most importantly, the similarities they have with other children who have disabilities. This is a huge stepping stone for children to learn inclusion, understanding and empathy. This could really be a powerful movement for our future generation."

She said she hopes children with Down syndrome will look at the doll and see themselves represented and loved within our world.

McFerron said her cousin is a blessing to her family, that she has the biggest heart, a contagious smile and finds the joy in life many people can pass by without even noticing.

The Barbie doll with Down syndrome is available in limited quantities online now and will be in stores this summer and fall at major retailers.